Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I imagine we’re in for one hell of a bumpy ride, as we join Takuto for the grand finale of the whimsical, richly layered, and altogether thrilling Star Driver. With anime legends Igarashi and Enokido at the helm, Star Driver has offered plenty of the theatrical embellishments, adolescent psychological inquiry, and grand theories of human relations that I’d expect from such distinctive, creatively driven artists. We’ve rambled from baseball episodes to creation myths, pursuing all the while that indistinct horizon of the adult world, where the legends and rituals that have guided us prove themselves either trustworthy signposts or merely the bars of a larger cage.
Southern Cross Isle’s patriarchal order is ultimately ruled by fear; fear of female agency, fear of the adult world, and most fundamentally fear of being unmoored, of no longer being the lord of your domain. Sugata’s predecessors feared losing power so much that they essentially became avatars of power alone, sacrificing their ability to choose their own destiny just to ensure that others would be similarly contained. Kiraboshi have come up with a unique solution to their simultaneous fear of the external world and desire for greater power: simply expand their cage outward, capturing the entire world within the domain of their abilities. But to those who’ve chosen to walk away from the island, to all those painted women Tokio failed to capture, the solution is far simpler. Can Takuto break the bars of Southern Cross, and rise fearlessly upward into adulthood? Let’s find out!
Episode 25
A stark and ominous opening, with only the logo visible and Wako screaming “Kate” into the darkness. Kate frankly deserves better than the indifferent Sugata, but at this point so much of her identity has been constructed in the context of his presence that it’s hard to imagine her escaping him. Hopeless love is its own form of cage; the more we give to another, the less we have left of us when we choose to stand alone
But no one rushes in, no one saves her. Kate’s seal is broken, and the massive Cybody that is the vessel of Tokio’s dreams emerges
Excellent match cut here, as the posture and momentum of this rising mech is matched directly to Tokio’s movements
An episode so serious we don’t even have time for the Ginga Bishonen’s usual entrance!
“I thought I’d drop by for once, but what the hell is that!?” Playful acknowledgment of how our original contestants just sorta dropped off the map for twenty episodes. Presumably they’ve been reintroduced now to join in the overall rebellion against Samekh, with all of our former opponents now joining together to seek their own futures
Failure was actually the best thing imaginable for most of Takuto’s opponents; by failing early in achieving the Kiraboshi’s adolescent aims, they were able to pick themselves up and see what they really wanted to do, moving forward towards the adult identities that Kiraboshi rejects
Ah shit, now Sugata’s claiming Samekh
And Kate has essentially abandoned all goals of her own, gleefully announcing that “Sugata belongs to no one” as she imagines him taking over the world. If she can only ever admire him from afar, then she will at least ensure that all the world is admiring him alongside her
“In the end, you’re just another lovestruck girl.” And of course, Tokio sees this as Kate’s natural destiny, for he believes all women are intended to be accessories for men
“You see, Sinpathy has the ability to apprivoise other Cybodies.” Oh, you son of a bitch Tokio. So not only is he determined to realize global Cybody domination, he’s not even attempting to become the king through the merit of his own transformation – he’s stealing Sugata’s throne through the exploitation of a crest that he also stole. A fitting tactic for this adult obsessed with dominating an adolescent world
Lovely exuberant drawings as Tokio and Takuto clash, once again favoring Kanada-style warping between distinct poses, here accentuated by Star Driver’s distinctive style of exaggerated full-black shading
I quite like how lightly the show has engaged with Tokio being Takuto’s father. It feels appropriate for this narrative – Tokio is the past Takuto is growing beyond, not the destiny that defines him. Giving him one solid punch was really all the catching up Takuto needed to do; his future lies beyond Tokio’s hollow dreams
“If I nullify the seal of zero-time, Samekh will absorb all of this planet’s libido, so that he can become the Cybody he was meant to be!” An exceedingly Star Driver vision of apocalypse
Tokio’s ultimate goal is to control time, allowing him to “relive the past as I wish, over and over.” In every aspect, he embodies an inability to let go of the past and look towards the future, to move beyond the playground of opportunity unfulfilled embodied by adolescence
“I’m going to regain everything I’ve lost, Ryosuke.” “So you’re going to remain a prisoner then, Tokio?” Ryosuke sees clearly: Tokio only desires a larger cage
He also gleefully throws all of Kiraboshi under the bus, further setting up our revolution of all the prior combatants
Tokio strikes at Takuto, but Wako blocks the blow and apprivoises into her own Cybody! Great to see, and essentially necessary for this show’s thematic argument. If our heroes are going to reject Southern Cross’ patriarchal system, it will only feel meaningful if Wako and the other women get to fight alongside Takuto, not simply offer words of support
Oh man, some fantastic impact frames as lightning highlights Samekh and Tauburn in black and white. Basically an extension of this show’s distinctive fight shading, embellishing these shapes to the point where they resemble fantastical illustrations from some gothic fairy tale
“Since you so kindly destroyed them, all of the Cybodies are now Samekh’s slaves.” Ah shit
“It was a mistake to get involved with the Cybodies.” “You’re wrong. Maybe it was too soon for us to get involved, but the Cybodies are one possibility of the future that we were meant to strive for.” Like adulthood itself, the Cybodies merely represent an opportunity for growth and evolution – it is up to their wielders to decide how to use that chance
As Simone states that her Cybody is seeking her, new emblems emerge for the Kiraboshi officers, accompanied by the shattering of their masks. The masks represented how their previous Cybody escapades were essentially performances, chances to play-act adulthood under a foreign guise. Now, they are driven by their own authentic power and identities, and have no further need to hide or pretend
And so our heroes activate, a glorious deluge of action cuts accompanying the Kiraboshi officers springing into action. Some things will never get old, and “all your former enemies team up to assist you for the final battle” is undoubtedly one of them
“What a giant King’s Pillar.” Benio, please
“I can still see it…” Even with Samekh standing in his path, Takuto can still see the future awaiting him, the endless horizon beyond Tokio’s claustrophobic ambitions
“Lost in the vast blue darkness, not knowing where you are, or which way to go…” Tokio’s description of this King’s Pillar obviously doubles as his fearful vision of adulthood
And Takuto concludes with another punch right to the goddamn face! Love these loose, sketchy lines and the transition to black and white here; both seem to emphasize the intimacy of the moment, the harsh collision of Takuto’s righteous fist against Tokio’s stupid fucking face
Alright, so that’s Tokio dealt with. Do we still have to defeat Sugata? You sticking with evil, Sugata?
It is Kate, who always knew Sugata the best, who provides our answer: Sugata is attempting to seal Samekh away, using his position atop this hierarchy to end it for good. Kate always believed in him, and her faith is being rewarded in the most tragic way possible
And looking back, both Takuto and Kate realize his ominous final statements were actually his way of saying goodbye to both of them
But Takuto won’t have it. In order to save Sugata, he breaks Wako’s seal
Lovely chalk-reminiscent patterning on Samekh as it rises; the distinctive texturing does an excellent job of making it seem like a creature beyond this world, constructed of a fundamentally different substance
Samekh attempts to confuse Takuto with a barrage of masks, but Takuto can now see the future he desires. All these false paths no longer fool him
Thus the sun rises at last, one more brilliant horizon with many more to come
And Done
Ah, what a finale! We were treated to basically everything I was hoping for, with glorious clashes of Cybodies accompanying a graceful sendoff to all of Star Driver’s thematic concerns. Tokio’s dream of a perpetual adolescence was shattered by the combined will of Takuto and his friends, who collectively summoned the courage to reach beyond Tokio’s limitations and strive for an unknown future. There were certainly some bumps along the way, and I’m still not entirely prepared to forgive Star Driver for treating Mizuno so unjustly, but the show’s themes of adolescent identity-forming and cracking the shell of limiting traditions shined through from start to finish, serving as a fine scaffolding on which to hang Star Driver’s countless incidental pleasures. Good luck to Takuto, Sugata, Wako, and especially Kate, who has more than earned a happier future. The battle for Southern Cross is over, and a bright new dawn awaits.
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